Federal (FAA, 49 CFR) and international agencies (ICAO, the branch of the United Nations that governs all international civil aviation matters), and IATA (International Air Transport Association) have in place numerous regulations for shipping of dangerous goods by surface or air. According to regulations, Biological Dangerous Goods “are articles or substances which are capable of posing a significant risk to health, safety or to property when transported”. For Biological material, the Biological and Dry Ice Shipping Flowchart indicates which materials are regulated and which are not.

Note: Dry Ice is considered a Dangerous Good. Training and certification is required, and the package must be labeled and shipped accordingly!

Transport of biohazardous goods off Stanford University requires training and certification prior to shipping. Training is mandatory for shippers (the person sending out the package or signing the air bill) and handlers (the people who transport the package) and is based on these regulations. Non-conformance of these regulations can result in a fine to the department found lacking.

Additional Handling Information & 24HR Emergency Contact

Use the following information: You are required to provide an emergency phone number on the DG declaration. Stanford University contracts with CHEMTREC to provide emergency contact services. State “Prior arrangements as required by the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations 1.3.3.1 have been made” Please use this CHEMTREC Number on your form: 1-800-424-9300.

Import Permits

This tool can help you identify if you require an Import Permit for the biological material that you want to obtain. Flash player needs to be enabled in order for the tool to run. This tool will walk you through several questions to identify whether the item you are shipping is regulated or not.

https://www.selectagents.gov/resources/IPPetool/

Training

Training to become certified can be done by completing the Biological Shipping Training Course–EHS-2700, DOT: Shipping Biological Goods or Dry Ice; these are available through the STARS system.

Note that training certification is only valid for two years or until regulatory changes and MUST be re-taken at that time if needed.

Export Controls Related to Biologicals and Toxins

The Commerce Department, along with other federal agencies, regulates shipping of biologicals and toxins outside the U.S. All select agents and many biological agents and toxins are controlled for export and require US government authorization in the form of an export license before they may be shipped internationally. Stanford University’s Export Controls website identifies those agents and toxins requiring a license for export.

Stanford’s Export Control Officer must be contacted before any export controlled biological or toxin is shipped abroad so that an export license can be obtained (Note: the export licensing process can take up to two months so plan well in advance). All other exports of biologicals need to be documented with the appropriate export certification signed by the responsible PI or researcher. An Export Controls Decision Tree is available to assist PIs and researchers with selecting the appropriate certification, as is Stanford’s Export Control Officer.

See Stanford’s University Export Control website for additional details.